Dr. Jun Tao is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Brown University and an infectious diseases epidemiologist at The Miriam Hospital. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Preventive Medicine from Tianjin Medical University, a Master’s degree in Immunology from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC), and a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Tao is an NIH-funded investigator whose research centers on HIV prevention, PrEP implementation, and the HIV care continuum. Her work leverages big data analytics, agent-based modeling, and implementation science to evaluate and scale strategies that address health disparities. She also develops and tests AI-based and digital health interventions, including conversational chatbots and mobile health models, to enhance engagement in prevention and care. While much of her research focuses on HIV and sexually transmitted infections, her methodological approaches are designed to be adaptable to other health outcomes, including chronic diseases and public health challenges, with the overarching goal of advancing innovative, scalable, and equitable interventions in medicine and public health.
| Chan PA, Malyuta Y, Parent H, Tao J, Erbe M, Salhaney P, Maynard M, DeWitt W, Reisopoulos A, Nunn A. "Early adopters of doxycycline as post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent bacterial sexually transmitted infections in a real-world clinical setting." Sexually Transmitted Infections, vol. 100, no. 6, 2024, pp. 339-342. |
| Toma E, Malyuta Y, Salhaney P, Nunn A, Maynard M, Tao J, Sutten Coats C, Chan PA. "Implementation of Point of Care Sexually Transmitted Infections Testing in a Community Clinic Setting." Sexually Transmitted Diseases, vol. 51, no. 4, 2024, pp. 251-253. |
| Vargas SE, Tao J, Almonte AA, Ramirez L, Chan PA. "Increasing Incidence of Gonorrhea at an Urban STI Clinic in the United States." Rhode Island medical journal (2013), vol. 107, no. 3, 2024, pp. 26-31. |
| Tao J, Gu M, Galarraga O, Kapadia J, Martin H, Parent H, Chan PA. "Long-Term HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Persistence and Reinitiation in Connecticut from 2012 to 2018." Population health management, vol. 27, no. 4, 2024, pp. 267-274. |
| Tao J, Parent H, Karki I, Martin H, Marshall SA, Kapadia J, Nunn AS, Marshall BDL, Raymond HF, Mena L, Chan PA. "Perspectives on a peer-driven intervention to promote pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake among men who have sex with men in southern New England: a qualitative study." BMC Health Services Research, vol. 24, no. 1, 2024, pp. 1023. |
| Tao J, Kapadia J, Fenn N, Almonte AA, Toma E, Murphy M, Nunn A, Su LJ, Chan PA. "Human papillomavirus vaccination coverage among sexually active young adults aged 18 to 26 at a sexually transmitted infections clinic." International journal of STD & AIDS, vol. 34, no. 5, 2023, pp. 315-321. |
| Tao J, Sosnowy C, Arnold T, Kapadia J, Parent H, Rogers BG, Almonte A, Chan PA. "Perspectives of a peer-driven approach to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis and HIV prevention among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men." Sexual Health, vol. 20, no. 5, 2023, pp. 453-460. |
| Murphy M, Sosnowy C, Rogers B, Napoleon S, Galipeau D, Scott T, Tao J, Berk J, Clarke J, Nunn A, Chan PA. "Defining the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Care Continuum Among Recently Incarcerated Men at High Risk for HIV Infection: Protocol for a Prospective Cohort Study." JMIR Research Protocols, vol. 11, no. 2, 2022, pp. e31928. |
| McCarthy M, Tao J, Lerebours A, Rodriguez C, Flanigan TP, Sanchez MC. "Evaluating Barriers to Viral Suppression among People with HIV in Santiago, Dominican Republic." Journal of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care, vol. 21, 2022, pp. 23259582221096522. |
| Moitra E, Tao J, Olsen J, Shearer RD, Wood BR, Busch AM, LaPlante A, Baker JV, Chan PA. "Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on HIV testing rates across four geographically diverse urban centres in the United States: An observational study." Lancet Regional Health. Americas, vol. 7, 2022, pp. 100159. |
| Rusley JC, Tao J, Koinis-Mitchell D, Rosenthal AE, Montgomery MC, Nunez H, Chan PA. "Trends in risk behaviors and sexually transmitted infections among youth presenting to a sexually transmitted infection clinic in the United States, 2013-2017." International Journal of STD & AIDS, vol. 33, no. 7, 2022, pp. 634-640. |
| Murphy M, Tao J, Goedell WC, Berk J, Chu CT, Nunn A, Sosnowy C, Chan P. "Characterizing substance use among men who have sex with men presenting to a sexually transmitted infection clinic." International journal of STD & AIDS, vol. 32, no. 4, 2021, pp. 314-321. |
| Tao J, Montgomery MC, Williams R, Patil P, Rogers BG, Sosnowy C, Murphy M, Zanowick-Marr A, Maynard M, Napoleon SC, Chu C, Almonte A, Nunn AS, Chan PA. "Loss to Follow-Up and Re-Engagement in HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Care in the United States, 2013-2019." AIDS Patient Care and STDs, vol. 35, no. 7, 2021, pp. 271-277. |
| Weng CH, Saal A, Butt WW, Bica N, Fisher JQ, Tao J, Chan PA. "Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination and clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 in Rhode Island, United States: a cohort study." Epidemiology and Infection, vol. 148, 2020, pp. 1-9. |
| Lurie MN, Silva J, Yorlets RR, Tao J, Chan PA. "Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic Doubling Time in the United States Before and During Stay-at-Home Restrictions." The Journal of Infectious Diseases, vol. 222, no. 10, 2020, pp. 1601-1606. |
| Chan PA, Patel RR, Mena L, Marshall BD, Rose J, Sutten Coats C, Montgomery MC, Tao J, Sosnowy C, Mayer KH, Nunn A. "Long-term retention in pre-exposure prophylaxis care among men who have sex with men and transgender women in the United States." Journal of the International AIDS Society, vol. 22, no. 8, 2019, pp. e25385. |
| Tao J, Qian HZ, Kipp AM, Ruan Y, Shepherd BE, Amico KR, Shao Y, Lu H, Vermund SH. "Effects of depression and anxiety on antiretroviral therapy adherence among newly diagnosed HIV-infected Chinese MSM." AIDS, vol. 31, no. 3, 2017, pp. 401-406. |
| Tao J, Vermund SH, Lu H, Ruan Y, Shepherd BE, Kipp AM, Amico KR, Zhang X, Shao Y, Qian HZ. "Impact of Depression and Anxiety on Initiation of Antiretroviral Therapy Among Men Who Have Sex with Men with Newly Diagnosed HIV Infections in China." AIDS Patient Care and STDs, vol. 31, no. 2, 2017, pp. 96-104. |
| Tao J, Wang L, Kipp AM, Qian HZ, Yin L, Ruan Y, Shao Y, Lu H, Vermund SH. "Relationship of Stigma and Depression Among Newly HIV-Diagnosed Chinese Men Who Have Sex with Men." AIDS and Behavior, vol. 21, no. 1, 2017, pp. 292-299. |
| Yang L, He Z, Huang XY, Liu HN, Tao JY. "Prevalence of human papillomavirus and the correlation of HPV infection with cervical disease in Weihai, China." European journal of gynaecological oncology, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015, pp. 73-7. |
| Tao J, Liang J, Zhang H, Pei L, Qian HZ, Chambers MC, Jiang Y, Xiao Y. "The Molecular Epidemiological Study of HCV Subtypes among Intravenous Drug Users and Non-Injection Drug Users in China." PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 10, 2015, pp. e0140263. |
| Tao J, Li MY, Qian HZ, Wang LJ, Zhang Z, Ding HF, Ji YC, Li DL, Xiao D, Hazlitt M, Vermund SH, Xiu X, Bao Y. "Home-based HIV testing for men who have sex with men in China: a novel community-based partnership to complement government programs." PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 7, 2014, pp. e102812. |
| Su Y, Yan R, Duan Z, Norris JL, Wang L, Jiang Y, Xing W, Chen Y, Xiao Y, Li L, Tao J, Wang N. "Prevalence and risk factors of hepatitis C and B virus infections in hemodialysis patients and their spouses: a multicenter study in Beijing, China." Journal of medical virology, vol. 85, no. 3, 2013, pp. 425-32. |
| Tao J, Ruan Y, Yin L, Vermund SH, Shepherd BE, Shao Y, Qian HZ. "Sex with women among men who have sex with men in China: prevalence and sexual practices." AIDS Patient Care and STDs, vol. 27, no. 9, 2013, pp. 524-8. |
| Li XF, Guo YJ, Zhang DM, Chen Z, Wei X, Li YH, Zhang SL, Tao JY, Dong JH, Mei YW, Li LL, Zhao L. "Protective activity of the ethanol extract of Cynanchum paniculatum (BUNGE) Kitagawa on treating herpes simplex encephalitis." International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, vol. 25, no. 1, 2012, pp. 259-66. |
Peer-driven intervention promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among African American and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men. Funded by the Providence/Boston Center for AIDS Research (CFAR), P30AI042853, 09/01/2018-08/31/2020, PI: Tao
Using Big Data to determine pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake and persistence in Southern New England. Funded by the Advance Clinical Transliational Research (CTR), U54GM115677, 04/23/2020-04/22/2021, PI: Tao
Using a big-data approach to characterize disparities in the HIV care continuum and viral suppression among rural communities in Arkansas, Funded by the mechanism of Ending HIV epidemic, CFAR Supplemental, 07/01/2019-12/31/2020, PI: Tao
Peer-driven intervention promoting pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake among African American and Hispanic/Latino men who have sex with men. Funded by NIMH, K01MH19660,09/01/2020-08/31/2024, PI: Tao
Intervention to Enhance Prep Persistence Among African - American Men Who Have Sex With Men. Funded by NIMH, R01MH131475, 09/01/23-07/31/28, Co-I: Tao (PI: Nunn&Chan)
Implement a telehealth mobile van model to improve HIV care engagement and retention in Arkansas. Funded by the Providence/Boston CFAR, 07/01/24-06/30/25, MPI: Tao & Marshall
A multicomponent social media intervention to reduce vaccine hesitancy and promote vaccine uptake. Funded by Brown Physicians, Inc (BPI Academic Assessment Grants 2023) 10/01/23-03/30/2025, PI: Tao
A multidisciplinary approach to integrate HIV prevention services into clinical care settings for people with opioid use disorder. Funded by NIDA, R01DA059503, 09/30/2024-07/31/2029, MPI: Tao&Chan
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Data Science to Improve Community-Based and Public Health Initiatives in Rhode Island and Beyond. Funded by Brown University, 07/01/2024-06/30/2025, PI: Tao.
An AI-Based Chatbot for Doxycycline as Post-Exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex with Men. Funded by NIAID, R21AI192507, 09/12/2025-08/31/2027, PI: Tao&Chan
An AI-based behavioral intervention to improve pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. Funded by NIMH, R34MH138136, 09/16/2025-09/15/2028,PI: Tao&Chan
| Year | Degree | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | PhD | Vanderbilt University |
| 2009 | MB | Tianjin University |
Medicine/ Infectious Diseases
School of Public Health/Epidemiology
